The Best DNA Test For Your Ancestry Research To Buy!

There are many different DNA testing kits available on the market today. So, you maybe wondering which is the best DNA test for your ancestry research. Well, look no further as I will show you which are the five best tests and what they can do for you.

Please note:

I have listed these in alphabetical order as I could not rank these top 5 DNA testing kits. It was just too hard to really differentiate between them as each of them offer different things.

Each of them are unique in their own special way, and so what kit is right for you may not exactly be right for someone else.

It all depends on what you want from a DNA test!

Also all of these DNA testing kits are available outside of the United States. Be prepared though to pay for additional shipping though for it to be delivered to your country.

When you have finished reading this review why not head over to DNA Testing Choice as you will find reviews for these DNA testing kits.

And also there are more kits reviewed at this site as well.

* Please share with me below what you discover here! *

I would love to hear from you.

What To Expect From The Best DNA Testing Kit?

Before I do go into each of the different DNA testing kits I just want to cover the basics of this new area of genealogy research.

That way you will better understand the features that I will discuss for each of the kits. And therefore you will get the kit that is right for you!

If though you do know the fundamentals of DNA testing then you can skip this section and head to the reviews.

Understanding DNA!

First off do you know what DNA stands for?

It doesn’t really matter if you do or don’t know but I thought that I would ask you.

It stands for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid. It is a self-replicating material that can be found in every single living organism.

It is in every cell in our body and is the building blocks of life. They are therefore instructions on how we are built.

They give blueprints as to what color are our eyes and our hair.

DNA can also tell us about our origins as well!

And that is why many family historians are turning to this new solution in helping us find our ancestors.

What are the tests involved?

Depending on the DNA testing kit that you buy you will either need to swab your cheek or provide a saliva sample.

It really doesn’t matter which way you give a sample of your DNA the scientists will be able to decipher your DNA.

(Actually if it is difficult for you to produce saliva then a cheek swab maybe best. But for most people it doesn’t really matter.)

The 3 different types of DNA Testing!

There are actually 3 different types of tests that can be conducted on your DNA sample. But not all companies offer this full range of testing.

The most basic testing, (which all companies offer), is called Autosomal testing and looks at your most recent ancestry

Then there is Mitochondrial testing that looks at your maternal line, and Y-Chromosome testing that looks at your paternal line.

Autosomal DNA testing (atDNA) – Looks at your maternal and paternal ancestry but only accurate to about 5 generations.

Mitochondrial DNA testing (mtDNA) – Looks at your maternal line and can trace your ancestry to about 25 generations.

Y-Chromosome DNA testing (yDNA) – Similar to the previous test but looks at your paternal line and can be accurate up to 25 generations back. Only available for males, so get your father or brother to take the test for you if you are female.

Privacy of your information and is it secure?

You can rest assured that every one of the companies that I discuss in this post take the privacy and security of your information very seriously

None of them will pass your information on to a third party.

And you do not have to worry about the scientists in the laboratory matching your DNA with you.

Included with your DNA test kit is a unique barcode. This code will link you with your results when they are available.

To the scientists in the lab you are just a number, (sorry if that sounds rude).

Do make sure though that you do link up your code with your online account, (the company’s site that you chose). Otherwise you will not be able to access your results when they are ready.

You will be notified by email when you can see them.

The security of your information is also paramount for every one of these companies. And that is why they are provide secure and encrypted websites.

1. 23andMe – Full Ancestry Testing As Well As Health Screening!

This is a great DNA testing kit if you not only want to discover your ancestry but also want to get a full health screening as well.

Many people have chosen this additional option as they obviously want peace of mind of their well being.

Not only do you get your ancestry tested where you will find out the origins of your ancestors, but you can get connected to distant relatives.

These connections will come in the form of other 23andMe members. So, who knows what you will discover with 23andMe?

What Does 23andMe Offer You?

23andMe is purely a DNA testing company. What that means is that they were set up solely to test your DNA, provide you with your ancestry DNA results and nothing more.

In that regard they are quite different to say Ancestry where they have genealogical records at their disposal which you can look at.

Hence you cannot take what information you receive from your DNA results and act on it within the program. You have to find records and other sources elsewhere.

Credit: 23andMe

So, why should you choose 23andMe?

Well, not only do you get ancestry results with 23andMe but you also get a health screening test.

This additional test does cost twice as much as just having an ancestry test, but it can prove useful for many people.

This is especially true if you are concerned with passing any genetic conditions on to your children.

Or, you may be concerned about your health right now. Knowing any conditions that you may have at this time, rather than later on down the road may save you thousands of dollars when it comes to medical bills.

So, it does help getting a health screening test done as well as the ancestry test.

Health screening!

I’ll come back to the ancestry test a bit later but I just wanted to quickly go over what you can expect from the health screening test.

There are actually dozens of these health screening checks that are categorized under 4 types.

Genetic Health Risks – Shows any genetic variations that can be a risk.

Carrier Status – Any genetic variants that have been linked to recessive conditions.

Ancestry test!

In comparison to Ancestry DNA which only breaks the world into 26 regions, 23andMe on the other hand has 31 regions.

This therefore means that you will have more precise information at your fingertips.

You can then pinpoint a bit more closely where your research needs to be headed, i.e. where you need to look next for more records and information.

Your DNA results will show a percentage connected with any region where there is a match.

So, the higher the percentage then that will mean that most of your DNA comes from that region.

DNA Matches!

Besides getting ethnicity estimates of where in the world you come from there is also DNA match up tool.

This is called the DNA Relatives tool and shows you which other 23andMe members match closely to your DNA.

Not only will this tool show you matches but it will also show you the Strength of Relationship.

This will come in the form of relationship title, such as Father, Brother, Aunt, First Cousin, or Second Cousin, and so on.

It can also show you which side of your family tree that this match is on. So, it maybe on your paternal side or your maternal.

For me this is an excellent benefit of this tool as you can zero in more closely where you need to look.

You can also communicate with these matches, which is a great idea as you can share information that will ultimately help you build your family tree.

Of course if you wish you may opt out of such a feature. But in my opinion why would you.

You are here to get research after all aren’t you?

Discover your haplogroup!

Another key benefit of 23andMe is discovering your haplogroup. If you are a male then you will get information about your maternal and paternal haplogroup.

If you are female then you will only find out your maternal haplogroup.

Don’t worry if you are female though as you can always get a male relative to get the test done to discover this information.

This relative could be your father, brother, father’s brother or even his sons. But getting your son to take the test won’t help in this regard.

Pros

✔ Breaks down DNA into 31 regions
✔ Ancestry test and also health screening provided
✔ Get ethnicity estimates about your ancestors
✔ Get connected with distant cousins via website messenger
✔ Break down brick walls and build an impressive family tree with help from results and your DNA matches

Cons

❌ No connection with genealogy search sites so you cannot get access to genealogical records
❌ Smaller database of members compared to Ancestry

My Verdict

This DNA testing kit does offer you a lot. Not only does this company conduct the three different tests, (atDNA, mtDNA and yDNA), but also a health screening as well.

A health screening is not what you were expecting from such a testing kit. You were probably more interested in your ancestry.

But it is worth considering spending a bit more money to find out if there are any genetic conditions that you need to act on.

So, with that said it may save you a considerable amount of money, (thousands of dollars probably), worth of medical bills.

With this test you not only discover your past, but also your present, and in a way your future with regards to your DNA that you pass down to them.

2. Ancestry DNA – The Most Popular DNA Testing Kit Available Today!

Ancestry DNA will look at your most recent ancestry. So ,in that regard it is a great tool for you to kick start your genealogy research.

It is also great though if you have hit a brick wall and want to find a way to knock it down.

There are many useful features of Ancestry DNA. They include getting an ethnicity estimate based on your DNA, discovering DNA matches, the migration of your ancestors, and also connecting with other Ancestry members who have not yet taken the test.

3. Family Tree DNA – Full Ancestry Resting and Access To Surname Projects As Well!

This DNA testing company will offer you the full range of DNA testing. There is a choice though whether you want all of the testing done or whether you just want to stick with the basic Autosomal testing.

But if you choose Family Tree DNA why wouldn’t you take all that is on offer? The Mitochondrial and Y-Chromosome testing can show you so much more information that can really kick start your genealogy research.

What Does Family Tree DNA Offer You?

This DNA testing company will perform the full range of tests on your DNA sample. But you will have to make that choice when you buy the kit.

So, if you are unsure at this stage then this may be a difficult decision for you.

You can easily though read my full review by clicking on the link at the end of this overview.

Credit: Family Tree DNA

So, why should you choose Family Tree DNA?

Even though you may get a bit perplexed with the choice of tests to go for there is no reason why you shouldn’t buy this testing kit.

I have already discussed the three different kinds of tests on offer near the start of this post. So, hopefully you should know whether this one is right for you.

Let me show you what Family Tree DNA has to offer and its benefits.

Family Finder Feature – Your atDNA Results!

Similar again to all the other DNA testing companies on the market today this feature will show you your ethnicity estimates.

In the form of a graph you will see where your ancestors originally came from.

There is also a map which will also make this clearer to you, as well as a migration map that can show the path of your traveling ancestors.

I have always been curious as to where my ancestors came from, (like most genealogists), but also their journey as well. So, this is a great feature.

The Family Finder tool will also show you other Family Tree members who have matched up to your DNA, i.e. they’re quite possibly your cousins!

This is a common feature with other testing companies but Family Tree DNA takes it further by actually showing you what part of your DNA that you match up with.

Pretty cool, hey!

Mitochondrial Results!

This is where it may get a little complicated for you. There are two options that are available to you when it comes to your Mitochondrial results.

You have a choice between Plus or Full Sequence.

These results will show you your maternal line ancestry. However, the next step up is Full Sequence which will show you far more information than Plus.

As I side before it can be quite complicated for you if you are new to DNA testing and what it all has to offer.

Also, reading the results and getting your head around it all can be quite overwhelming to begin with. Although is to something new so you shouldn’t be too concerned about it.

These results will show your maternal haplogroup, a map to show where your maternal line came from and also a migration map as well. Oh yes and there’s a list of your DNA matches on top of that.

Y-Chromosome Results!

When it comes to deciding whether you want to take the Y-Chromosome test there are 3 further choices to make.

You can select to have the Y-37, 6-7 or the Y-111 test.

The higher the number will mean the more information that you will receive. Although this will naturally mean that it will cost you more money.

But despite the higher cost it will mean that the information you get will be more accurate. So it is worth considering.

Similar to the Mitochondrial testing you will discover your paternal haplogroup, as well as see a map of where your ancestors originated from and also their migration path.

And again there is a list of your matching DNA results.

DNA Matches!

You will get a list of DNA matches with Family Tree DNA. There aren’t as many members compared to Ancestry DNA but it is still quite popular.

That will obviously mean the chance of connecting with a distant cousin is not as high as for Ancestry but it is still a possibility.

And as more members take the test then there is always the possibility that you will get a match up in the future.

Pros

✔ 3 types of tests available
✔ Great to help you build an extensive family tree
✔ Break down brick walls
✔ Get ethnicity estimates about your ancestors
✔ Get connected with distant cousins via email
✔ Access to projects and surname projects

Cons

❌ No connection with genealogy search sites so you cannot get access to genealogical records
❌ Smaller database of members compared to Ancestry

My Verdict

Family Tree DNA is great because even though it does offer you the 3 DNA tests you can choose whether you want to take them all or not.

And if you only go with atDNA that’s not a problem because you can get the other testing done on your sample at a later time.

And similar with Ancestry there is the potential that you will be connected with your distant cousins.

It may not happen straight away, but it can happen for you later on.

Family Tree DNA is becoming more and more popular so there is every chance that you meet a relative through this DNA testing kit.

What Does Living DNA Offer You?

If you want the full range of testing on your DNA then Living DNA is definitely worth considering.

You will though need to wait considerably longer for your results to arrive compared to the other testing kits reviewed here.

If you have heard of the phrase “good things come to those who wait“, then you will not be disappointed as the level of information you get is uncomparable to other companies.

But do you want to wait that long and what actually do you get from your sample?

Credit: Living DNA

So, why should you choose Living DNA?

Yes I have said that you will have to wait longer for your results than any of the other companies. Up to 12 weeks actually.

So, if you can’t wait then this test is not for you you.

But if you have been researching your family history research for a while then you will know that there are plenty of avenues for research. Right?

If you do go for this kit do expect to receive quite comprehensive results.

So, if you a beginner to genealogy then this test might be for you.

Your Ethnicity Estimate!

Yet again another testing company that will give you an ethnicity estimate based on the DNA sample that you have provided.

This sounds quite similar to the other DNA testing kits that I have already reviewed right?

Well yes, but Living DNA is quite different as they have broken down the world into 80 regions.

Yes, that’s right 80 regions!

This will therefore mean that you can zoom in closer on where your ancestors originated from much more precisely with Living DNA.

Please note: Matching against members is a feature that is coming soon!

Motherline Ancestry!

The Mitochondrial testing will show you where your maternal line originated from. And not only that it can show this line’s migration path by the aid of a map.

Through the Motherline Ancestry feature you will also discover your maternal haplogroup as well.

Fatherline Ancestry!

Your Y-Chromosome testing results will show you your paternal heritage. And similar to the Motherline Ancestry, here you will unravel their migration path.

Pros

✔ Great to help you build an extensive family tree
✔ Break down brick walls
✔ Get ethnicity estimates about your ancestors
✔ Extensive testing that covers 80 regions of the world, (more than any other company)
✔ Upcoming Family Matches features that will let you connect with distant cousins

Cons

My Verdict

Even though you need to wait the longest out of all the DNA testing kits this product gives you the most comprehensive results.

So, if you don’t mind waiting to discover your ancestry then in my opinion it is well worth the wait.

I like that there currently 80 regions of the world that could be shown in your DNA sample. That will therefore mean that you can pinpoint more accurately with Living DNA where your ancestors came from.

And that will mean that you will know where to take your genealogy research next. In that regard I highly recommend Living DNA.

5. MyHeritage DNA – Get Quick Results From This DNA Test!

By far the quickest out of all the DNA testing companies to get results. MyHeritage DNA do only offer Autosomal testing, but if you are only interested in your most recent ancestors then this test kit is certainly for you.

And it does come at a considerably low price compared to all the other products reviewed here.

What Does MyHeritage DNA Offer You?

In the same vein as Ancestry DNA this testing kit will only look at your Autosomal DNA, the most basic test that can be conducted.

But if you are only wanting to discover your most recent ancestors then this test is for you.

Also similar again to Ancestry, you will have access to genealogy records held within the MyHeritage database.

What this means is that when you get your results back you can then find your ancestors in records which can therefore take your research further.

Credit: MyHeritage DNA

So, why should you choose MyHeritage DNA?

Now there are advantages of buying the MyHeritage DNA testing kit over Ancestry DNA.

And that is both the cost and the time that you have to wait for your results.

For Ancestry DNA results you can expect to wait 6-8 weeks, whereas for MyHeritage DNA the wait is 3-4 weeks.

Also, the cost is considerably cheaper for MyHeritage at currently $69 compared to Ancestry’s price of $99.

Ethnicity Estimates!

Your Autosomal DNA results will show you as percentages where your ancestors came from. For this MyHeritage has broken the world down into 42 regions.

And so the higher the percentage marked against a region then the more DNA that you have from that region.

So, it can therefore show you where your ancestors came from through these ethnicity results.

DNA Matches!

And yet again another DNA testing company that will show you who else you match up with based on your sample.

But you maybe surprised as to what you will discover through MyHeritage DNA’s version of this useful feature.

Similar to 23andMe your matches will also feature how they are related to you. How does the phrase “3rd cousin once removed” sound to you?

MyHeritage DNA does show though that this is a possible relationship but to me that is pretty impressive matching.

And you can always prove whether this is the case by contacting your match and fact-checking with them to see if they are indeed related.

Create A Family Tree!

This is more a feature of the MyHeritage website and not the DNA side of things. But I still wanted to mention it because of the previous point I made.

If you are unsure whether a match is actually a relative then why not check their family tree.

Simple right?

Pros

✔ Short waiting period for results, 3-4 weeks
✔ Great to help you build an extensive family tree
✔ Break down brick walls
✔ Access genealogy records through the MyHeritage website
✔ Get ethnicity estimates about your ancestors
✔ Get connected with distant cousins
✔ Download your results and even upload results from other DNA companies

Cons

❌ Due to sampling there may be an anomaly with your results

My Verdict

Similar to Ancestry once you do purchase the MyHeritage DNA testing kit you will have access to many genealogy records.

That means that you can get stuck in straight away to building your family tree.

There is therefore no need to go to another site and hunt down birth certificates, probates, immigration records and so on. It’s right there for you at MyHeritage.

Also, you will only need to wait about 3-4 weeks for your results to be returned to you.

That surely sounds good to you if you’re the sort of person you can’t wait and must get on with digging up your ancestors.

My Final Thoughts!

When it comes to choosing the right DNA testing kit you want to buy the kit that is right for you.

And each of these kits that I have reviewed here are quite different.

So, you will have to ask yourself whether you just want a simple test that will show you where your most recent ancestors came from?

Or do you want to find out as much as you possibly can from your DNA?

For me price shouldn’t really come into it. All of these kits are fairly reasonably priced and are all affordable in my opinion.

You also shouldn’t be too concerned about how long you will have to wait for your results.

You can though expect the longer wait of 12 weeks from Living DNA to mean that you will get far more comprehensive results.

And while you are waiting for your results you can certainly research you family tree in other ways, i.e. checking genealogy search websites for example.

My recommendation!

In a nutshell any of the five testing kits that I have reviewed here. As I have said it all depends on your situation and what you want from a DNA test.

Thank You and Please Leave A Comment

I hope you enjoyed this post showing you what is the best DNA test for your ancestry research to buy. If you think that this post will be helpful to others then please share with friends and family using the social media buttons below.

If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.

Hello, Owain here. After researching my family history for a number of years I wanted to give back to the genealogy world. So here you will find guides, tips and product reviews that will help you on your genealogy journey.

26 thoughts on “The Best DNA Test For Your Ancestry Research To Buy!”

I already have DNA Ancestry of result Asia South 57% Asia East 33% Malenisa 6% and Polynesia 4% last May.

I need To know where am i m born from?
I m deaf and adopted .

I was abondon in village bihar in East INDIA and Népal possible . Mother teresa found me in East INDIA in 1977. My real name is Jeewan in india then changed my name is Jivan Petit in France
Please let me know

Wow, awesome review. I had no idea there where so many tests available. I’ve been interested in doing one of these for a while now and this might finally motivate me to go for it.

I noticed some of the cons included anomolies with results, does this mean the company wasn’t able to get an accurate test or does it have something to do with the sample you send in? Does saliva or cheek swab seem to be more accurate than the other? Thanks.

There are actually a lot more tests than these. At present there are nearly 40 companies out there offering DNA testing for genealogy research. These are the top 5 testing kits.

As for the anomalies this refers to results that people were not expecting. But this could because of a number of reasons. A particular reason for this is because of your sample that is compared to a sample of 200 or so people in their database.

If their sample contains mass migration then the results will not be correct. This is because of markers that are unique to a region. If there is some disruption to these markers then the results will not be accurate.

I think your site is great Owain, I love all the information you have on Ancestry DNA and all the other tests.

There is just so much to think about that I had no idea. I want to find out my most recent ancestors, but the thought of discovering my ancient ancestors really excites me. I didn’t even know that you could do that. That is pretty cool.

Thanks Fred. Yes there is so much that you can do with DNA testing. I love particularly how you can connect with distant relatives. This is a great way for you to expand your knowledge of your family tree.

Also, if you either go with Ancestry DNA or MyHeritage DNA then you can also connect with genealogy records within their database. Obviously this will cost more, it it is an excellent way to build your family tree.

I am currently waiting on my Ancestry test results and planning to try 23 and Me also for the genetic component so this was really interesting for me to read and compare all these options. They are all amazing considering how far we have come in recent years. Just a decade or two ago this was almost science fiction!

Have you tested your DNA? Where do your ancestors come from?

My husband did Ancestry and we were a bit surprised. He expected to be part Portuguese and part Native American along with the more common Scottish, English etc. He did not have any Portuguese or Native American! It was a bit confusing at first but we learned a child can take after one parent much more than the other and so his Mom could be part Portuguese and he didn’t get much after all! Of course with the broad regions in Ancestry it can be confusing as well since large areas are lumped together.

Hi Jessica, thank you for the comment. It is amazing just how far this science has come. I just wonder what improvements will come, but I do know they will. It can only get better.

I haven’t done the test yet but after creating this genealogy site and spending some time researching it I am definitely excited about it.

I want to sign up to Ancestry DNA because of the higher possibility of connecting with cousins. And also I would like to take the 23andMe test as well.

Yes you are right about getting different DNA here and there. It’s funny but it makes sense. Take my two daughters for example. One of them has brown eyes like me and my parents. And my other daughter has blue eyes, she takes that from her mother.

Wow Owain, this has all the info in one place that anyone would like to know about DNA testing.
It’s still so hard to pick.
My recent ancestry goes back to Italy. Are any of these tests better for this location?

Hi Owain! This is probably the best review I have read about DNA test so far! I’m very tempted to try it for my self but for some reason, I have not done it.
Ancestry is the company I will try out since it’s pretty common here in Sweden.

Hi Owain,
I just found your site and find it very interesting. I wanted to tell you that I have already tested with 23andMe back in 2014 and the main reason I chose them was that I really wanted the health reports in addition to the other information. I noticed that your report says they use cheek swab, however at the time I sent my sample to 23andMe it was saliva in a tube. I don’t think it makes much difference to most people unless they are testing a young child but I thought I’d mention it to you.
Thanks again for all this great information.
Char

I agree About the cheek swab vs saliva testing Owain.
I found the 23andMe health information very helpful. I’ve recently been considering testing at a 2nd place but haven’t decided which one yet. One regret I have is that although I convinced my father to test at 23andMe prior to his death at age 92, I now wish I had sent his test to a place that would have done the Y dna test instead of only the autosomal. At the time I wasn’t as knowledgeable yet about the dna testing.

Thank you again for the great information you provide. I’m so glad I found your site and I have subscribed to your newsletter.

Take me for example. I could’ve asked my paternal grandmother so many questions before she passed away. My love for family history stems from the stories that my father would tell me, and most of them came from her.

It was only after writing down these stories, before they got lost in time, that I truly appreciated my family history.

But life is like that. We could regret many things if we wanted to, but I am happy with what I have recorded and the massive amount of research that I have done 🙂

Thanks for joining my newsletter. At the moment I am writing up reviews for genealogy sites but if there is anything that you would like discussed then please feel free to contact me or comment like this.

PS
I just realized that at 23andMe my dad’s saliva would have included the y dna testing. Here’s my confusion: now that dad is deceased, I looked into transferring his raw data to Family Tree but according to their information if I do the transfer they only provide autosomal results & I would not be able to request their y dna testing results from the raw data as the sample would remain at 23andMe.

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